Matthew MacArthur pictured here with the puck from his shutout win Sunday. (Martin Martinson/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Martin Martinson

Stars Blank Hounds

MacArthur shuts door in North Stars debut, leads team to fifth straight

Jan 7, 2024 | 9:43 PM

Goalie, Matthew MacArthur stopped all 27 shots he faced in his North Stars debut Sunday, to backstop the Battlefords to a 3-0 win over the Notre Dame Hounds, in Wilcox.

Providing a calming presence throughout the night between the pipes, the 19-year-old from Barrington, IL., USA, spoke postgame about the role the whole team played in the victory.

“The boys were great, they took care of any bad rebounds I had tonight and the communication with my [defensemen] was great when playing pucks,” he said. “They cleared lanes and I can’t appreciate them enough. It wasn’t possible without them.”

Hunter Burgeson (one goal, one assist), Tanner Gold, and Jackson Allan scored for the team in the victory, marking the second straight game the Stars have received three goals from three different players.

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Gold’s opening goal of the evening came just under three minutes into the first, firing home his seventh of the season and career-high 31^st point, in just his 31^st game of the season. Wiring home a wrister from the high slot on the play, his goal would stand as the lone for either side through the first period.

Just over two minutes into the second, Burgeson’s eighth stretched the North Stars’ lead to 2-0, converting on a two-on-one feed from Medernach, on the latter’s second helper of the night.

Allan’s second of the weekend and 10^th of the season then put the game away just 1:24 into the third, snapping home a perfectly-placed wrist shot off the rush, to establish a new career-high in goals, surpassing his nine in 48 games last season, in just 31 games this year.

With the victory, the North Stars have now won five straight heading into a six-day break in their schedule. The team will return to play next Saturday (Jan. 13) for their first home game of the New Year, against the same Notre Dame Hounds.

Saturday’s game will be available on 1050 CJNB with the Ultra Print Pregame Show at 7 p.m. and puck drop to follow at 7:30 p.m. on the NAPA Auto Parts North Stars Broadcast.

Scoring summary

First period:

2:52 BAT Tanner Gold (7) ASST: Josh Medernach, Hunter Burgeson 1-0 BAT

Second period:

2:11 BAT Hunter Burgeson (8) ASST: Josh Medernach, Brayden Sinclair 2-0 BAT

Third period:

1:24 BAT Jackson Allan (10) ASST: Riley Girod 3-0 BAT

3-0 BAT, the final

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Martin.Martinson@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @MartyMartyPxP1